Once Upon A Time: Goldilocks comes to Storybrooke

Chapter 38

Goldilocks jerked upwards and opened her eyes. She looked around her, and it took her a few moments to realise she was in Regina's living room, laying on the sofa.

Goldilocks suddenly remembered her meeting with Cruella the previous night. Merida was a bear statue in the wood at the edge of Storybrooke? But how could the key possibly help Goldilocks bring her cousin back?

Goldilocks looked around, but saw no one, so she silently slipped off the sofa and began to creep towards the door.

"And where the hell do you think you're going?" A female voice said behind her.

Goldilocks froze, and then slowly turned around to see Emma was sat by the window. Either Emma had magical disappearing tricks, or Goldilocks had bad eye sight.

"Emma - hi. Err," Goldilocks looked at the door. "I was just going to - err, leave?"

"Where were you going?" Emma stood up. "Or even better, who the hell were you talking too on the docks last night?"

" - No one," Goldilocks replied slowly.

"You probably don't know this," Emma said. "But I have a super power, that let's me know who is lying to me."

"No offence, but that magic power kinda sucks," Goldilocks replied. "When you could have any other magic power in the world - "

"The point is, that I know you are lying. And you need to tell me what's going on," Emma said. "Goldilocks, I do care about you. And I just want to help. What have you and Henry been planning? Something to do with a key?"

Goldilocks's eyes grew wide with horror. "How much did Henry tell you!?"

"Something about Merida and a bear key. And something to do with your evil aunt. Weird, because I always used to think fairy-tale's had an evil stepmother - "

"What?" Goldilocks asked.

Emma shook her head. "Never mind. But the point is that whatever your planning you have to tell us, and we'll help."

"I don't need help. I have all the information I need. Cruella said - " Goldilocks stopped when she realised what she has just said.

"Cruella?" Emma asked. Goldilocks saw that name was haunting to Emma, like a bad dream. "Is in Cruella De Vil? I thought she was dead - What is she doing here?"

Goldilocks closed get eyes and took a breath. "Cruella is my aunt, and Merida is my cousin."

"Okay," Emma nodded.

"And - Cruella told me that Merida was a bear statue in the little woods on the edge of Storybrooke."

"Right," Emma said. "... But we meet Merida..."

"You met a clone of Merida," Goldilocks replied shortly. "But the clone is gone. I was going to find Merida, but I'm not to sure where the key fits in to all this." Goldilocks reached into her pockets, to find the key wasn't there. Goldilocks's eye grew wide with horror. "Where's the key!?!?"

"It's okay, Regina has it," Emma replied, and Goldilocks sighed, relieved that she hadn't lost it.

As if on cue, Henry and Regina entered the room.

"Goldilocks, you're okay," Henry said, and immediately pulled his girlfriend info a hug.

Goldilocks hugged him back, burying her head into his shoulder.

"Sorry I told them," Henry whispered. "About Operation Blackbird."

"It's okay," Goldilocks whispered back. She was actually relieved that Henry had told them. It would save a lot of commotion and suspicion for when they went to find Merida.

"Okay you too," Regina's pulled them apart, but Henry grabbed Goldilocks's hand. Regina produced the key from her pocket. "We need to find out where Merida is, and...how this key is going to save her?"

"We!?" Goldilocks repeated. "You - you'll help me find my cousin?"

"Of course we will," Emma replied. David, Mary Margaret and Ruby are out looking for Cruella as we speak. "

"I have a better idea," Goldilocks said. She dropped Henry's hand and grabbed the necklace around her neck. She fumbled for a moment, before holding up the whistle to her lips and blowing it.

All was silent for a few moments.

"What the hell was that supposed to do?" Regina asked.

"Wait," Goldilocks whispered, and suddenly Perdita ran up to them from the corner of the room, where all the shadows were being held. But something was wrong. Perdita didn't seem to be walking right. She was limping.

"Perdita?" Goldilocks bent down and managed to catch her pet dog just before she fell over. "Perdita!" Goldilocks looked at her dogs legs, and saw the leg one at the front had a deep cut, and was covered in blood.

"Oh my god," Goldilocks whispered. She carefully waved her hand over Perdita's leg and the blood faded and the cut vanished.

Perdita was suddenly full of life again, and stood up, barking happily.

"Was that - " Emma began.

"Cruella," Goldilocks narrowed her eyes and her face hardened.

"Why would she - " Henry began, but stopped when he heard Emma's phone ringing.

"Hello?" Emma said as soon as she had put her phone on loud speaker. "Dad, what's up?"

"We've been searching all over, but no sign of Cruella yet," David's voice said.

"Anything else?" Emma asked.

"Dr Hopper joined the search party, with Pongo and Perdita, but suddenly Perdita ran off, and we can't find her. We think Cruella has her."

"Don't worry, Perdita is right here," Emma said, looking down at the dog.

"David, we found something!" Ruby's voice called from the background.

"Got to go. You might want to start looking for Merida's statue soon," David said.

"Okay. Thanks Dad," Emma said, and she hung up.

"Can we go now?" Goldilocks asked.

"That might be the best thing to do," Regina said.

Henry nodded in agreement. "Let's go."

Emma, Regina, Goldilocks Henry, and Perdita all ran outside.

Emma produced her car key from her pocket but Regina stopped her. "Oh hell no, Swan. We're taking my car."

"What's wrong with my car?" Emma asked.

"It's yellow," Regina commented.

"And what's wrong with yellow? Look, I was desperate, I needed to escape, I stole the first car I saw. End of story!" Emma huffed as she climbed into the passenger seat of Regina's car. Henry and Goldilocks sat in the back, Perdita was on Goldilocks's lap, and Regina was in the divers seat.

Regina started the car, and she drove them to the woods.